Prayer for the Day

by Revd Canon David White

26th April 2026 - 4th Sunday of Easter

God of the city,
God of the tenement and the houses of the rich,
God of the subway and the nightclub,
God of the cathedral and the streets,
God of the sober and the drunk,
the junkie and the stripper,
the gambler and the good family man and woman;
dear God, help us to see the world and its children through your eyes,
and to love accordingly. Amen.

This poem was written by Monica Furlong (1930 -2003) and kind of sums up her theology and approach to life and spirituality. She was a person of much talent and ability being an author, journalist, poet, film critic, writer of children’s stories, a feminist and a religious programmes producer for the BBC. She had a debilitating stammer which rather undermined her career as a broadcaster and speaker but she was a faithful Christian and church-goer. Her approach to the Christian faith has been described as “unorthodox and idiosyncratic” which made her as many enemies as life-long friends. The writer of one of her obituaries called her the Church of England’s “most creative and influential layperson of the post-war period”.

As this prayer suggests, Monica Furlong challenged the church to be fully inclusive – she campaigned for the ordination of women in the late 1980s and early 90s. Throughout the gospels Jesus shows us how to be inclusive and teaches us how important it is. God loves and cares for and about everyone and we are all called to follow his example.